Snap action apparatus



Aug. 11, 1942. E. A. ROCKWELL 2,292,546

sNAP ACTION APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 15, 1936 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR ml a. W

\ ATTdRNE Aug. 11, 1942. E. A. ROCKWELL SNAP ACTION APPARATUS 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Oct. 15, 1936 Am a INVENTOR ATTORNEY iatented Aug. 11, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SNAP ACTION APPARATUS Edward A. Rockwell, West Hartford, Conn.

20 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to an apparatus designed to obtain effective and quick action in the operation of controlling mechanism, the position of which is designed to be changed positively and quickly.

This application is a division of my applica tlon upon Pressure accumulator apparatus, Ser. No. 105,679, filed October 15, 1936.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of the above character by means of which parts to be moved to alternate posi ions can be efiectively and quickly changed as to their position. A further object is to provide such an apparatus by means of which an electric switch may be moved from one position to another. Still another object is to provide an apparatus of this character which is compact and dependable in operation. Further objects of my invention will appear from the detailed description of the same hereinafter.

While my invention is capable of embodiment in many different forms, for the purpose of illustration I have shown only one form of the same in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus made in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse upright section of the same taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown an apparatus comprising an accumulator casing l having an inlet 2 for low pressure liquid into the same. The casing l is closed at the inlet end by a casting 3 having a draw-off passageway i for the low pressure liquid from the accumulator casing I. The oil from the low pressure passageway I is adapted to be placed under high pressure by a pump or any other desired apparatus, not shown, and thence is delivered into a pressure chamber 5 to be expelled through a discharge pipe 5 to be utilized for any desired purpose. The pressure in the chamber 5 is maintained by means of a piston 1 having an annular recess 8 in the periphery thereof carrying a rubber gasket 9 to prevent scoring the wall of the chamber 5. The piston l is pressed towards'the left by a hexagonal rod ill to enable it to be held from turning when the apparatus is being assembled and to maintain a given desired pressure in the chamber 5. For this purpose the rod I 0 is carried in a. centrally recessed spring retaining plate ll having ten apertures near its periphery so as to receive guiding tubes I2. On the tubes ii there are a plurality of compression springs 93 around the same. Within each of the tubes 52 there is a bolt l4 screw-threaded at its left hand end to the casting 3 and held in.

place by lock-nuts 55. At the right hand end each of said bolts M carries a spring-retainer disc :13 held in place by a nut ll, each of live of said bolts having on its right hand end a nut it! for drawing the casing i tightly against a rubber gasket (18 interposed between the casing l and the casting 3. Furthermore,- each of said bolts id has a further nut 20. In the case of each of two of the bolts id, each of the same has adjacent to the nut 2d a lock-washer 2i so as to hold in position an end casting 22. In position between the latter and the nuts ll there is a perforated supporting shell 23 for a cylindrical filter cloth 2 to permit the incoming oil to pass outwardly through the cylindrical filter cloth 25. A retaining ring 25 holds the filter cloth E l over the shell 23 and a retaining-ring 26 holds the filter cloth 23 in an annular recess 2? in the casting 3. ,The perforated shell 23 rests at its left hand end in a further recess 23 in the casting 3 against which it is clamped by the force exerted from the nuts Ill. The hexagonal rod ill is arranged to receive in its end a screw 29.

The screw 29 is carried in a narrow extension 36 of the said hexagonal rod Hi, the outside of which extension is screw-threaded and carries thereon a lock-washer 3i and a nut 32. A lockwasher 33 is carried around the screw 29 at the end of the reduced extension 30. The said screw 29, furthermore, has a head 35 with a central slit 36 to receive'loosely therein a tongue 37 of a switch operating rod 38, said tongue being held loosely in place to allow slight lateral movement of the switch operating rod 38 by means of a pin 39. On the head 35 of the said screw there is carried a spring housing 40 which is held in place thereon by a snap-ring 4i and adjacent to the face of the said head 35 there is a washer 42 against which one end of a spring 43 rests. The said spring 43 is located around a stop sleeve 44, the right-hand end of which acts as a stop in cooperation with the inturned end of the spring housing 40 in the operation of the switch. The said switch operating rod, furthermore, carries movably thereon a hardened steel-block 45 having brazed to the right-hand end thereof a switch-operating sleeve 46 and there is located around the periphery of the block a. tapered annular flange 41 for cooperating with a plurality of rollers. 48 which are carried, respectively,'on arms 49 supported on pivots 50 on the end casting 22, which also is pivoted with lugs 52 for supporting springs 53 bearing against the said levers 49 to press them inwardly for snap action in cooperation with the said flange 41. Within the switch operating sleeve 46 there is another spring housing 54 having within the same a spring 66 and held in place by a snap-ring 56 against a spring-retaining washer 51 which rests against a head 68 on the rod 38. The said spring 55 is held at its other end by an intumed inwardly directed portion of the sleeve 54. Within said spring there is, furthermore, a stop sleeve 59. the left-hand end of which acts as a stop in the compression of the said spring. Located on the top of said casing I, furthermore, there is a vent tube 60 having a chamber 6| filled with horse-hair and provided with a fluted cover 62 to admit air to the interior of the casing I.

On the right-hand end of the enclosing casing I, around a central opening therein, there is supported a switch housing 63 by screws 64. This switch housing 63 has a plurality of oil ports 65 which communicate with an oil recess 66 having a rubber gasket 61 therein, U-shaped in crosssection, to seal a switch plunger 68 having an annular oil-carrying-recess 69, and on the left-hand end a push-plate 10 held in place by a screw H. The said plate 19 is adapted to be operated by the switch operating sleeve 46. The rubber seal 61 rests against a backing piece 12 against which there is located a washer 13 held in place b a snap-ring 14 in the switch housing 63. Around the outside of the plunger 68 there is a stop snapring 15. The right-hand end of the plunger 68 rests against a conducting disc 16 which is supported in eyelet shaped rings 11 slidably carried on a plurality of studs 18 carrying coil springs 19 supported against heads 80 on said studs. The studs 18 are carried by a nonconducting plate 8| supported between Bakelite washers 82 by screws 83 from the switch housing 63. The said plate 8| carries thereon a contact ring 84 which is connected by a conductor 85 to a terminal 86 of the electric circuit, to which a wire 81 is connected. The terminal 86 is mounted in a switch cover 88 held in place by the screws 83 and from which it is suitably insulated in the usual way. On the switch cover 88 there is also located another terminal 89 to which the other wire 90 of the circuit is connected. The inner end of said terminal 89 is connected by a braided insulated wire 9| to a terminal 92 mounted on the conducting disc 16. The terminals 86 and 89 may go to any suitable circuit for controlling in any usual manner an electric motor driven pump for placing the oil received from the passageway 4 under pressure, to be delivered to the chamber 5, these parts not being shown as they may be of any well-known conventional character.

In the operation of the apparatus, the low pressure oil is received through the inlet port 2 in the casing I, which is vented at all times through the tube 68. This low pressure oil will pass outwardl through the filter cloth 24 and thence to the low pressure discharge passageway 4 and finally, after having been raised to high pressure by any suitable means, as for instance the operation of the electric motor driven pump, not shown, due to the closed position of the switch 84, 85, is delivered into the chamber and discharged through the pipe 6 to be used for any desired purpose. This pressure is rendered uniform by the piston 1 under the influence of the springs l3. When, for any reason, due to discharge of liquid from the pipe 6, the piston 1 has approached the left end of the chamber 5,

the snap action apparatus will be in the position as shown in Fig. 2. when, however, the piston l is moved far to the right, due to accumulating pressure within the chamber 6, the switch operating flange 41 will come into contact with the rollers 48 and thus compress the spring 43 up to the end of the sleeve 44 and, upon further movement of the switch operating sleeve 46, will suddenly be forced past the rollers 48 in opposition to the spring 43, thereby exerting a sudden force against the push plate 10 and breaking the contact between the parts of the switch 84, 16, thus interrupting the circuit to the electric motor driven pump, not shown, until the pressure in the chamber 6 lessens, resulting in the movement of the piston I to the left, until the switch operating sleeve 46 contacts with the rollers 48, thus putting the spring 65 under compression until stopped by the end of the sleeve 59, whereupon the switch operating flange 41 will be forced past the rollers 48, thus suddenly closing the switch 84, 16 which will result in energizing the electric motor driven pump to again bring up the pressure in the chamber 5. In this way the pressure in the chamber 5 will be maintained substantially uniform to deliver a uniform hydraulic pressure through the pipe 6.

While I have described my invention above in detail I wish it to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the same.

I claim:

1. In combination, a part to be moved and a snap action apparatus, comprising an element on said part, with an interrupted surface having a yielding connection to said part, resilient means for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, and a snap action device connected to said element and including a movable member engaging and disengaging said interrupted surface adapted to suddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its directions of movement.

2. In combination, a part to be moved and a snap action apparatus, comprising an element on said part, with an interrupted surface having a yielding connection to said part, resilient means for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, and a snap action device connected to said element and including a movable member engaging and disengaging said interrupted surface adapted to suddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its directions of movement, comprising an electric switch having a spring contact member opened and closed by said snap action device.

3. In combination, a part to be moved and a snap action apparatus, comprising an element on said part with an interrupted surface having a yielding connection to said part, resilient means for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, and a snap action device connected to said element and including a movable member engaging and disengaging said interrupted surface adapted to sudddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its directions of movement, said snap action device comprising an actuating member floated between springs to provide said yielding connection.

4. In combination, a part to be moved and a snap action apparatus, comprising an element on said part with an interrupted surface having a yielding connection to said part, resilient means for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, and a snap action device connected to said element and including a movable member engaging and disengaging said interrupted surface adapted to suddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its directions of movement, comprising. an electric switch having a spring contact member opened and closed by said snap action device, said snap action device comprising an actuating member floated between springs to provide said yielding connection.

.5. A snap action apparatus, comprising an element with an interrupted surface, resilient means for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, and a snap action device connected to said element, including a spring-pressed lever arm for engaging and disengaging said interrupted surface, adapted to suddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its directions of movement, said element be-' ing floated between springs adapted, respectively, to urge said element in opposite directions.

6. A snap action apparatus, comprising an element with an interrupted surface, resilient means for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, and a snap action device connected to said element, including a spring-pressed lever arm for engaging and disengaging said interrupted surface, adapted to suddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element, and an electric switch, having a spring contact member opened and closed by said snap action device, said element being floated between springs adapted, respectively, to urge said element in opposite directions.

'7. A snap action apparatus comprising a flanged element, resilient means for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, and a snap action device connected to said element and an arm engaging said flange adapted to suddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its directions of movement, said flanged element comprising an actuating member floated between springs adapted, respectively, to urge the flanged element in opposite directions.

8. A snap action apparatus, comprising a flanged element, resilient means for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, and a snap action device connected to said element and an arm engaging said flange adapted to suddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its directions of movement, comprising an electric switch having a spring contact member opened and closed by said snap action device, said flanged element comprising an actuating member floated between springs adapted, respectively, to urge the flanged element in opposite directions.

9. A snap action apparatus, comprising an element, resilient means for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, a snap action device connected to said element, adapted to suddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its direction of movement, said snap action device comprising an actuating member floated between helical springs, a sleeve stop within each of said springs and a housing outside each of said springs for cooperating with the said springs.

10.A snap action apparatus comprising an element, resilient means for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, a snap action device connected to said element, adapted to suddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its directions of movement, comprising an electric switch having a spring contact member opened and closed by said snap action device, said snap action device comprising an actuating member floated between helical springs, a sleeve stop within each of said springs, and a housing outside each of said springs for cooperating with the said springs.

11. A snap action apparatus, comprising an enclosing casing for the same, an element, resilient means supported from within said casing for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, and a snap action device mounted on said casing connected to said element, adapted to suddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its directions of movement.

12. A snap action apparatus, comprising an enclosing casing for the same, an element, resilient means supported from within aid casing for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, and a snap action device mounted on said casing connected to said element, adapted to suddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its directions of movement. comprising an electric switch having a sprin contact member opened and closed by said snap action device.

13. A snap action apparatus, comprising an enclosing casing for the same, an element, resilient means supported from within said casing for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, and a snap action device mounted on said casing connected to said element, adapted to suddenly stop or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its directions of movement, said snap action device comprising an actuating member floated between springs.

14. A snap action apparatus, comprising an enclosing casing for the same, an element, resilient means supported from within said casing for forcing the element in one direction, a source of accumulating pressure for forcing it in the other direction, and a snap action device mounted on said casing connected to said element, adapted to suddenly stop'or start the accumulation of said pressure by the position of said element in each of its directions of movement, comprising an electric switch having a spring contact member opened and closed by said snap action device, said snap action device comprising an actuating member floated between springs.

15. A snap action device, comprising an actuating member, a plurality of springs between which it is floated, adapted, respectively, to urge the actuating member in opposite directions, said member having an interrupted surface and a lever arm adapted to be moved by the interruption in said surface to give a sudden movement to said member in each of its directions of movement by the release of said lever from said interrupted surface.

16. A snap action device, comprising an actuating member, a plurality of helical springs between which it is floated, said member havin an interrupted surface, a lever arm adapted to be moved by the interruption in said surface to give a sudden movement to said member when released by said lever, a sleeve stop associated with each of said springs, and a housing for each of said springs cooperating with one of said sleeves.

17. A snap action device, comprising an actuating member, a plurality of helical springs between which it is floated, said member having an interrupted surface, a lever arm adapted to be moved by the interruption in said surface to give a sudden movement to said member when released by said lever, a sleeve stop associated with each of said springs, a housing for each of said springs cooperating with one of said sleeves, and a rod on which said member, springs, sleeves and housings are mounted.

18. A snap action device, comprising an actuating member, a plurality of springs between which it is floated, adapted, respectively, to urge the actuating member in opposite directions. said member having an interrupted surface, a lever arm adapted to be moved by the'interruption in said surface to give a sudden movement to said member in each of its directions of movement by the release of said lever from said interrupted surface, and an electric switch having a spring contact operated by said member.

19. A snap action device, comprising an actuating member, a plurality of helical springs between which it is floated, said member having an interrupted surface, a lever arm adapted to be moved by the interruption in said surface to give a sudden movement to said member when released by said lever, a sleeve stop associated with each of said springs, a housing for each of said springs cooperating with one of said sleeves, and an electric switch having a spring contact operated by said member.

20. A snap action device, comprising an actuating member, a plurality of helical springs between which it is floated, said member having an interrupted surface, a lever arm adapted to be moved by the interruption in said surface to give a sudden movement to said member when released by said lever, a sleeve stop associated with each of said springs, a housing for each of said springs cooperating with one of said sleeves, a rod on which said member, springs, sleeves and housings are mounted, and an electric switch having a spring contact operated by said member.

EDWARD A. ROCKWELL. 

